Wales. I was surprised by the red card but it was deserved. Red card is the default for any sort of dangerous tackle not just spearing someone. The IRB ruled in 2009 that there is no mitigation in the case of spearing but ruled there could be for other types of dangerous tackles. Warburton botched his execution and it was pure luck the frenchman was able to play on. Yes it is a collision sport but yiou still owe a duty of care to your opponents, if you can't execute the tackle safely, by not dropping the player, don't make the tackle. When reffing I have often had to tell tacklers 'put him down SAFELY' and I get the time because the pace the game is played at my level is much slower. If Wales had kicked their pens, or got a drop goal when they chose to faff we would not be talking about the sending off.
Citing; nope, iirc, as citing doesn't happen at my level so I may be worng the citing commission can't deal with anything the ref has dealt with during the match, but only look at stuff the ref misses which is germane. So if he had given only a YC, end of story. as it is Warburton got a three week ban, during the NH rugby season so the disciplinary committee have said a punishment is deserved when they could have ruled 'sending off sufficient'
Yes it spoilt the spectacle but that isn't the referees concern, and trust me you don't want refs making decisions on that basis. What it does highlight is the inconsistency of interpretation that referees have applied during the tournament but you will aways get that, referees are human.
Rant; The Sunday Mail online has a disgraceful healine today questioning the referee's integrity because his dad was French. Why not point out the ref is an ex-Irish international and accuse him of sour grapes too?
As for the all
blacks. wow. the scoreline flattered the crims. but if I was a betting man, there is one NH team, who, if they pull it together on the day and make it their day, and play like their forebears played, for a full 80 minutes, and give no quarter, and of whom it is said 'they always play one great game in the tournament' and we haven't seen that game yet, then if the odds are long I's day put you money on les bleus.
VIVE LA FRANCE!